Friday, February 08, 2013

Book Review The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion has become a modern classic.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie’s letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives or to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and music—when all one requires to feel infinite is that perfect song on that perfect drive.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

My Thoughts:

This book has been in my reading list for quiet some time now and I was really not planning on reading it this month until a friend of mine gave me a copy of its movie and brag that it was amazing. And you know how I feel about books and its movie adaptation, right. So before I watched the movie, I read this first and what can I say, it totally live up to the hype.

“It's strange because sometimes, I read a book, and I think I am the people in the book.”

I've never encounter anyone like Charlie before. I thought at first that he was a bit unrealistic because what kind of 15-year old boy doesn't know what masturbation is. But then again, I realized that this was set in 1991 and even though I don't know anything about that year, I know that the upbringing in that generation is still modest compared to the generation today. So after I finally resolved that issue, everything went smooth sailing from there.

“So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.”

Charlie's perspective over the things that is happening in his surrounding was so insightful, it will make you think differently about the world. It was surprisingly an awesome experience because it's not everyday that you see the world in this kind of mindset, a mindset that is untainted by the society.

“And all the books you've read have been read by other people. And all the songs you've loved have been heard by other people. And that girl that's pretty to you is pretty to other people. and that if you looked at these facts when you were happy, you would feel great because you are describing 'unity.”

I love Charlie for so many reasons. He's innocent and naive, observant and understanding. He's sincere and admirable. He's honest, most of the time and his a really good listener. But what I like about him most is that he wear his heart on his sleeves. He laughs when he's happy, cried when he's sad and there was also some instances where he cried because he's happy. He's uncomplicated. Some might think that its a kind of weakness showing emotions, but with Charlie it kinda feels right.

“Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody.”

Sam and Patrick are two of the most carefree person I've ever encounter in a book. Or maybe that's just because it's how Charlie perceived them but nonetheless, I love them both. They just have this kind of cheerfulness that is so contagious, it's hard not to acquire it.

“We accept the love we think we deserve.”

And I think everyone would probably agree with me, that the tunnel part in the book and in the movie was the most epic part of this whole story where Charlie said the most iconic dialogue of all time, “And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.”

Giveaways

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About Me

Erleen has been in love with books since she fell down the rabbit hole when she was six. She didn't start writing the stories in her head until she was in college when things were crazy, fun and stressful. In between writing programming codes and drawing ER diagrams, she plotted and wrote her stories in a battered notebooks.

Now that she's part of the working class, she decided to finally fulfill her lifelong dream, one word at a time.